Power from wood, wood-derived fuels up in June

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the August 2013 issue of its Electric Power Monthly report, which includes power generation data through June. The report shows that total electrical generation decreased 1.4 percent when compared to the same period last year. However, power generation rom wood and wood-derived fuels increased.

Wood and wood-derived fuels were used to generate 3.134 terawatt hours (TWh) of power across all sectors in June, up 2.4 percent over the 3.06 TWh of net generation reported during the same period of 2012. In the electric utilities sector, wood and wood-derived fuels were used to generate 174,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of power, compared to 129,000 MWh in June 2012. The amount of power generated from wood and wood-derived fuels dropped in the independent power producers sector, declining from 740,000 MWh in June 2012 to 698,000 MWh in June 2013. However, power production from wood and wood-derived fuels was up in the industrial sector, reaching 2.260 TWh in June 2013, up from 2.188 TWh the prior year.

Across all sectors, power generated from other biomass sources was down by 0.8 percent, reaching 1.673 TWh in June. During the same month of last year, other biomass as used to generate 1.687 TWh of power. The use of other biomass was down in the electric utilities sector, reaching 119,000 MWh in June compared to 128,000 MWh during the same month of 2012. Generation also dropped in the independent power producer sector, from 1.285 TWh in June 2012 to 1.261 TWh in June of this year. Generation from other biomass in the commercial and industrial sectors was up, however.

The commercial sector produced 213,000 GWh of power from other biomass in June, up from 202,000 MWh last year. The industrial sector used other forms of biomass to generate 80,000 MWh of power during the month, up from 71,000 MWh during the same period of 2012.